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How To Turn Your In-Person Event into an Online Event

Reflection of woman in striped dress with orange sunglasses

In just a matter of weeks, we’ve become accustomed to connecting screen-to-screen. Friends are hosting virtual happy hours. Late-night talk show hosts are cracking jokes from their kitchens. Kids are attending Frozen-themed birthday parties via video chat. When your fun is virtual, the wifi is the only limit.

If your current in-person events are on pause until we get the all-clear from authorities, here’s a six-pack of power questions to get you on your way to your first online event.

1. What type of online event is right for me?

Online events come in different flavors. The seemingly endless possibilities for customization can be overwhelming. Luckily, if you were hosting in-person events previously, you don’t have to start from square one; most events can be moved online with a little bit of creativity.

Think about why your audience attends your events in the first place. Is it for entertainment? Education? Social connection? Now, how can you deliver that value virtually?

Live performances can be streamed to an online audience. You may have to perform from your living room instead of your usual venue, but you won’t be alone.

Workshops and classes can go virtual with simple online meeting software, making it easy for everyone to learn and collaborate from the comfort of their own homes.

Films and other pre-made content can be made available for a limited time so your audience feels like they’re attending an event, rather than just paying for Netflix.

2. Should I go live or pre-record?

Depending on the type of event you’re hosting and your resources, you can choose to do the event live, pre-recorded, or both.

Going live will most closely mimic the feel of an in-person event. Your audience will get to watch the action unfold before their eyes and interact with each other and with you, depending on the platform you choose. Live events have a sense of immediacy and excitement—you never know what’s going to happen next.

Pre-recorded content can be great if you have a busy schedule, are hesitant to go live, or if audience interaction isn’t a big factor. Recording ahead of time also allows you to perfect the event by doing multiple takes (be sure to factor editing time into your planning).

For a bonus, record your live event. You can then rebroadcast it or make copies available for your audience so they can relive the experience whenever they want.

3. How will my virtual attendees participate in the event?

One thing that can be difficult to translate from in-person to online is audience participation. Performers feed off a crowd’s energy. Panelists take questions to spark further discussion.

While the energy of a live audience won’t be felt the same way for virtual events, there are multiple options for fostering audience participation that can be just as effective.

Live verbal participation (aka talking) – This type of participation is best for small groups, like classes or workshops, where the audience will benefit from interacting with one another. You’ll want to make sure everyone has the right audio equipment (earbuds with a built-in mic work perfectly).

Pro Tip: Ask attendees to mute their mics when they aren’t speaking to avoid background noise.

Live comments – Live commenting is most popular for live streams with large audiences on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube Live. Viewers can tune into the event, but don’t have to commit to active participation. Instead of applause and cheers, they’ll leave comments and emojis to show their appreciation.

External community forum – If your event has a loyal fanbase, you can create a community forum to foster conversation outside of the event. Create a Facebook group and invite people to come share their thoughts. Your fans will have the opportunity to connect, and you’ll have a ready-made platform for promoting your future events.

No audience participation – Sometimes, audience participation isn’t necessary. After the event, you can send a follow-up email to thank attendees.

4. How should I price my online event?

Pricing your online event can be intimidating. You know people will pay to experience the event in-person, but is it still worth as much when it’s online?

The short answer is yes.

The value of your event is not dependent on the location, but on the entertainment, education, or experience you’re providing. While live events can be dressed up with free food and Instagram-able décor, the true value of your event will shine online. Focus on this, and don’t be afraid to price your tickets to match.

When setting your prices, also consider your audience and overall goals. If you’re hosting an event for an already loyal fanbase, they’ll be happy to pay to attend. If you’re fairly new to the scene and want to expand your audience, consider a free event with opportunities for viewers to contribute (see how one Seattle musician did exactly this). Collect contributions through a platform like Brown Paper Tickets, and you’ll also collect valuable attendee email addresses to start building your list. If you’re not sure where to start, you can always try a sliding scale or pay-what-you-like model.

What video-hosting platform should I use?

There are a plethora of video-hosting platforms and the one you choose will depend on your answers to the questions above. There are two main types: social media-based and software-based. Below is a brief overview of each type with specific examples and guidelines for best use.

Social Media Platforms

Examples: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube Live

Features:
• Typically free to use
• Ability to broadcast to an unlimited audience
• Viewers can join at their leisure
• Participation via comments and reactions

Best for: Free events, live streams

Not for: Paid events, private events, gated content

See our comparison of free live streaming services.

Software-Based Platforms

Examples: Zoom, Bluejeans, Livestream

Features:
• Typically generate a private event link
• Can be password-protected
• Ability for audience to speak to and see one another
• Collaboration tools
• Often have limited free services with paid subscription tiers that allow for more attendees and tools

Good for: Paid events, private events, social events

Not for: Unlimited attendees

6. How do I get the word out about my event?

There are so many online events happening right now that it can be hard for people to keep track of all of them. Just look at Facebook, Instagram, or your email inbox—there’s no lack of organizations and individuals asking you to tune in to their upcoming live stream.

Start by listing your event online ahead of time. This will create a single landing page for the event that’s easy for your audience to find and for Google to index. Your listing should convey the event’s who, what, when, and where. It should also allow attendees to register, purchase tickets, or make a contribution.

If you list your event with Brown Paper Tickets, we’ll handle your ticket sales and attendee registration. You’ll also gain access to our suite of event management tools, including page customization, real-time reporting, and live customer support for you and your buyers.

Once your event is listed, use all your available resources to get the word out. Send email blasts, post on social media, and look for fans in new places. Thanks to the internet, you now have the opportunity to reach a global audience.

Visit our help site for more event promotion tips.


Ready to get your online event up and running? See how Brown Paper Tickets can support you.

Event Tips >

How to Use Influencer Marketing to Promote Events

Influencer Marketing

Influencers. The term conjures images of chic people who post perfect selfies (ahem #sponsored), travel the world for free, and stay in world-class resort hotels. As a JOB.

Influencer marketing, as trendy as it may sound, is a serious promotion tool for events. It is gaining ground as the most effective way to reach millennials and gen z, who distrust brands, don’t watch commercials, and are peer-driven.

It might sound expensive and complicated, but micro- and nano-influencers may be willing to promote your show in exchange for free tickets. Giving away a few free tickets for a bump in sales is well worth it.

Do you want awareness, engagement or ticket sales? What audience are you trying to reach? Have a clear vision of your goals before you begin your campaign. Also consider how you will measure those goals.

If you’re having a large event and a big promotion budget, there are agencies and platforms, such as Obviously that can help you select the right people, draw up contracts, and reach out to the chosen ones for a ‘collab,’ i.e. a partnership.

But there’s nothing stopping you from doing the research yourself.

Types of Influencers

Celebrities.You know, famous people. Modern celebrities include YouTube stars and other celebrities who made their fame online (RIP Grumpy Cat). They have the following of a small country, but that hefty following means a a single post could cost thousands.

Industry Experts/Thought Leaders. The ones that know their subject inside and out, who others in the industry turn to when they need advice. A great selection for those having conferences, leadership seminars, retreats.

Microinfluencers. Scrunch.com defines a ‘microinfluencer’ as someone with a following of 2,000 to 50,000.

Over half of US and UK marketers who use influencer marketing are now working with micro-influencers, because they are more cost-effective. Emarketer has more information on how brands are paying influencers.

Nanoinfluencers. If you’re just dipping a toe into influencer marketing, finding a nano-influencer may be where to start. They have as few as 1,000 followers and are more willing to accept free tickets as comps. Look for recent posts, a lot of real engagement on their account, and a line in their bio that says they’re open to collabs.

How to Reach Out to Influencers

Many influencers view their social accounts as artistic means of expression, rather than a stream of product promotion. Try to find ones that match your events’ brand.

Offer an incentive and be direct about expectations. Aim for a professional, long-lasting relationship.

Just No

Hey Influencer, I see you’re into music. Can you mention our Blue Bridge music festival? It’s coming up this September. XO – James

It’s vague, there aren’t any details or incentives, and it assumes that the influencer will post about the event just because you asked.

Better


Hey Sophie, We love the way you cover music and are interested in collaborating. We’re in the process of organizing the Blue Bridge music fest, which will take place September 9-12.

Would you be willing to promote our festival in exchange for free tickets/a sweet hoodie? We’re expecting one post at least a week before the event and one Instagram story from the festival. We would be able to give your followers a special discount code, offering $10 off $100 passes and we would like our collaborators to tag us @BridgeCityMusic and use the hashtag #BlueBridgeRocks

Please get back to us before August 22, if you’d like to work together.

Why this approach works: It’s friendly, specific, and un-bot-like. It offers the influencer free tickets and a coupon code for their followers.

Drawbacks

Influencers don’t always follow through. You get everything set up on your end, the big day comes and they don’t show up for their free tickets. Or worse, they attend your show but never post. This is why some marketing teams use contracts when working with influencers.

You only have so much control of the content. Give the creator space to do what they do. For example, “we’d like one close up of a grilled cheese, on a red plate in front of our food festival sign” is a little too specific. Trust that they know what they’re doing and that they know what their audience will respond well to.

Sometimes those followers are fake. Pixlee has an excellent article on how to spot a fake following.

Need advice on influencer marketing for your next event or some general ideas on where to start? Email our promo team at promo[at]brownpapertickets.com to set up a free consultation.

Event Tips >

5 Fantastic Reasons to Offer Physical Tickets at Your Next Event

Ticket-stubs-Event-TicketingThere’s something special about a physical ticket. Holding one in your hand as you wait excitedly to see your favorite band…attending a show with it tucked safely in your pocket, putting the stub into a scrapbook, finding it years later and feeling that flood of oh-what-a-show nostalgia.

Physical tickets have a powerful effect, which is why we feature them as an option. If you’re an event organizer, physical tickets may sound like a throwback, but these classics can provide unique and surprising benefits for your events and your sales.

 

 

Here are five reasons to use physical tickets:

1. Speed and Security

Short on staff and need to get lots of people in the door quickly? Physical tickets, combined with barcode scanning via our mobile scanner app, will move your attendees to their seats fast. And from a security standpoint, our printed tickets are outfitted like currency with micro-printing, foil, and watermark.

So you can tell at a glance that you’re dealing with a genuine ticket.

2. Increased durability (badges and tickets)

Our hard-plastic badges are even more durable than our tickets. They can withstand a multi-day conference, a punishing roller derby bout, maybe even the jaws of a labradoodle.  Use them for a season pass, and your buyers won’t have to place multiple orders for numerous events. We can add lanyards, and even print attendees’ details like names, organizations, and more.

3. You can include Merch

Want to send a small item of merchandise along with your tickets like a CD or a T-shirt? Our Ad Insert Program can allow you to send merch directly to your guests with tickets. Also, you can send a flyer advertising your next show to your current attendees. Brilliant.

4. Souvenir factor

Give your buyers a built-in souvenir that will remind them of the amazing time they had at your event. They’re the perfect complement for post-show autographs.

Ben Haley, an event organizer, exclusively uses physical tickets for Salon of Shame – a Seattle-based gathering where people read from their embarrassing adolescent writing in front of a large audience.

It sells out nearly every time.

“I’m pretty old-school,” said Haley. “There’s just something satisfying about getting your ticket ripped and it’s like – blam! You’re in.”

5. They’re free

We’ve saved the best for last: when sent to your ticket buyers, physical tickets cost no more than print-at-home or will-call tickets. Neither you nor your guest will pay extra for this service. And if you need extra bulk tickets for your box office, they are only 10 cents per ticket, plus shipping.

So the next time you’re starting an event, consider all the ways that physical tickets can improve your sales, enhance your ticket buyers’ experience, and open up new opportunities. And those benefits are indeed timeless…

Event Tips >

The Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Press Releases for Events

WritingPressReleasesPress releases (often called media releases) are a great way to disseminate information to the media for them to use in a variety of different ways, including for interviews or in-depth articles. Writing a press release sounds daunting, so we’ve got you covered with a few tips. If you have any additional questions, you can always reach out to our promo team for support.

1. Target your audience

Focus on the audience you want to read your press release. It helps to target certain media outlets and adjust your writing to fit them. For example, you wouldn’t want to write the same press release for Seventeen Magazine and The Wall Street Journal.

If you are struggling to find media outlets, think back to your target audience: where do they find their information? How do they get their news? Seek out these publications or media outlets.

2. Before you write your press release

Define your unique value proposition, the golden nugget of your event. Additionally, pick out a few flashy facts about your event. Is it the first of its kind? Do you have any well-known performers? Have you won any awards in the past? Do attendees get free swag? What exactly is notable about your event? List all the details you can think of, and keep your unique value in mind when writing.

If you are having trouble targeting these superlatives, read our in-depth piece on attracting press coverage.

3. Writing your release

To start, set up your formatting correctly. Create a letterhead, with your phone, email and full name. To indicate that your release’s information is ready to be distributed, add “For Immediate Release” below your contact information. If you don’t want anyone publishing the information in your release until a future date, write “For Release on (date).”

Next, you’ll write the title of the release, which should be short and to the point, followed by a one-sentence-long, italicized subtitle. Once you’re finished with the title and subhead, begin the body of your press release. Check out our example to see the best way to format your release.

Write in a journalistic voice—not like advertising copy, but more like a newspaper. Rely heavily on provable facts. Most media sources will want to be able to pull quotes or descriptions directly from your press release. Some may even publish it directly – so check it for general grammar as well as professional tone.

The first paragraph – known as the “lead” paragraph – should include a hook. This is what brings the reader in and excites them about your event. Try to show, rather than tell them about the event as it will be – what can attendees expect to see when they arrive? What is going to surprise them about your event?

Highlight the “golden nugget” early to keep interest. Additionally, try to address as many of the “five W’s” (who, what, when, where, why) as possible.

The second or third paragraph usually includes a quote from the spokesperson of your event or brand. This quote highlights why you are doing your event, or why it is special.

Feel free to use bullets within the release as well to break up the paragraphs and highlight important information, such as performers, caterers, the program’s schedule, and so on.

When you write your final paragraph of your release, circle back to your value proposition and include where to find more details about your event. Include a link to your Brown Paper Tickets’ event page, as well as your contact information. Press releases always end with three, centered italicized hashtags (###) to signify the end of the release. If you have a mission statement for your event or company, put it under the hashtags.

4. Proofreading

Making sure your release is written well is very important. Most journalists use AP Style  and editing your release in accordance with this styleguide will get you far. Have a co-worker or friend read over the release and spot errors or typos. Also, our promo team can help edit and revise and boost your press release and make sure it is up to journalistic standards. Additionally, once you get your release polished, the promo team can curate a media list specifically for you and your event.

5. Distribute

The next step is to send out your press release to media sources, curated by our promo team or your personal contacts. You will want to make sure you customize each email to each media outlet, specific to them, the language they use and the editors you’re writing to.

Got any press release writing tips? Share them below in our comments section.

Event Tips >

The Event Organizer’s Guide to Facebook Live

FacebookLive_forEventsFacebook Live can boost event attendance, grow your contacts and engage followers. According to HubSpot, Live videos experience three times the engagement of traditional videos.

It is a powerful tool for event marketing. So why aren’t more event organizers going live?

There’s the shaky camera angles, dull footage, unreliable Wi-Fi and the possibility of capturing something that went woefully “wrong” during the event. It’s embarrassing if done poorly and the possibility of your brand making the Top 10 Social Media Mishaps of the Year goes up.

But don’t let that scare you. Use this guide to going Live.

Before You Facebook Live…

Test out Live on your personal account, a test account or by changing the settings on your video to “only me.”

Make sure your venue will have a reliable wireless connection.

Use a tripod or a selfie stick. If you go Live spur-of-the-moment, brace yourself against a post or tree and hold that hand steady.

Only use Live if you plan to record for at least 10 minutes. The longer your video, the more people will interact with and “react” to it.

Don’t waste a Live video on snoozefests—awkward interviews, dry presentations, fuzzy, glitch videos. Remember, the first rule of content is quality matters. If it’s not up to par, just don’t do it.

Get close. Sit in the press box or in the front row. Before you start your Live video, assess the lighting—does it seem dark and blurry? Can you barely see the stage? Whatever you see now, will likely look worse in the video.

How to Use Facebook Live

Optional: Write a status update that you will do Live coverage of your event at such-and-such time and date. If this is the first time you’re going Live, consider this carefully – the last thing you want to do is promote coverage that you can’t deliver because of a technical glitch.

Here’s an example: We’re broadcasting LIVE at 9:00 PST tomorrow. If you can’t be there in person, tune in to our Facebook to see our #giantbicyclefest.

Steps to going live:

  • Go to the News Feed and tap the red video icon. If you cannot see this graphic, your wireless is not strong enough to go live.
  • Allow Facebook access to both your microphone and your camera.
  • Write the description of your Live video. (You should already have it in mind. Use your event hashtag). Consider capitalizing LIVE so it stands out in notifications.
  • Make sure the camera is pointing the right way before you tap the Go Live button. You will see a 3…2…1 countdown.
  • You may not see many views at first, but then they will begin pouring in, indicated by the number next to the eyeball.
  • Say hi to your followers commenting on your post.
  • Add a silly filter, doodle or mask by tapping the magic wand at the top.

Got questions about going Live? Contact our promo department, they’re happy to consult you on your event promotions.

 

Event Tips >

10 Crucial Steps to Announcing Your Events on Social Media

Event-Announcement-SocialMediaGot the event launching jitters? Sasha from our promo team gives solid advice on the most effective way to announce an event on social media. This strategy will help you get all those likes, shares, “going” and “interested” pouring in.

Use steps 1-5, before announcement and steps 6-10 at announcement.

1. Choose an ideal date and time to announce your event

Timing is crucial to ensure as many people as possible see your event. If you make your announcement at an hour when folks are likely asleep, at work or otherwise occupied, the announcement could flop.

The best time to announce an event on social media is generally in the morning around 11AM (in your event’s timezone), so that it will be up and visible when most people check their Facebook at lunch.  The day you choose is important as well. Monday through Thursday is ideal, as people tend to have more unpredictable schedule on weekends and may miss the announcement.

Be attentive to other factors: it is ill-advised to announce on a date when there is an event that is similar to yours, or if there is big news that day, e.g. World Series Game, eclipse, UFO sighting, you get the idea.

2. Create a Brown Paper Tickets event page

You will want to have your Brown Paper Tickets ticketing page up and ready to go so that people can purchase tickets when they know about the event. Our system makes it easy to schedule the date when your sales begin, so you can create the event ahead of time, and have sales go live automatically when you announce your event.

3. Create your flyer image, Facebook Banner image and IG Square image

Compelling visual images are essential for effective event promotion. Your flyer design is more than the who/what/when/where/why; it’s the face of your event, so you want to make sure it looks good wherever you post it.  The key is properly sized flyer images.

Create or ask your designer to create three versions of your flyer image, since they may need to adjust the layout for each one.  If three separate designs are a bit too much, it’s still advisable to create some version of your flyer that will fit each of these sizes with all text visible.

A banner image:

Size: 1920 x 1080

Uses: Facebook Business page banner image, Facebook personal page banner image, Twitter header

A square image:

Size: 1000 x 1000

Uses: Instagram posts, Facebook profile pictures, Facebook posts, Twitter profile photos, general social media sharing

A flyer/poster sized image for printing:

Size: 1650 x 2550px (11 x 17 inches)

Uses: Printing handbills and posters, general posting.

While the standard size for printing flyers is 5.5 x 2.125in (a quarter of a standard 8.5 x 11in sheet of paper), the size listed above is big enough that it can be printed onto a poster or a flyer.  However, because of the size of the image, the image will have a large file size. You may consider asking your designer to create a smaller version for social media posting.

4. Draft your announcement post for social media

Before you launch your event, write out the text you will post when you announce your event on social media.  This post should be clear, concise and engaging, and contain basic details to stir up excitement.

There are a few ways you can go with this announcement. There’s the basic: “We are proud to present a night of roots reggae one night only at the Crocodile.” And the involved and unique: “Some try to avoid hordes of the undead on their weekend, we say Bring it On! Three screenings of Dawn Of The Dead, this weekend only at the Balboa Theater.”

Your goal is to get people to like, comment, or share the post, so make sure the content draws people in while staying on-brand.

Be brief. While you want to provide the important details, you don’t want the post to end up too long. Aim to strike a balance between informative and concise.

5. Make sure everyone on your team is ready to announce

Event-SocialMediaThe whole point of a good announcement is to make a splash, and the best way to do this is by having as many people as possible posting simultaneously about your event to get the word out.

Make sure anyone helping you with your event or willing volunteers (coworkers, friends, family) are available, at their computers, are given specific instructions to post about the event and send Facebook invitations to their friends. This team who agrees to help you ahead of time are your primary promoters. As you’ll see, a number of the following steps require you to communicate and work directly with them to maximize your announcement’s impact.

6. Create Facebook event page

Learn how to create Facebook event pages with these easy instructions.

Some notes about adding details to your event:

Host: This field allows you to specify your event’s host.  If you have a Facebook business page, you will be able to select either your business page or your personal page.  You can always add other people as hosts later. Depending on your settings, hosts have the ability to edit the event, or to add other hosts.

Event Photo: Use this field to upload your event’s banner image.  The image will appear at the top of your event page.  If you don’t have a flyer, consider using an image related to your event, a photo from a past event or a stock photo of relevant subject matter. As mentioned in Step 3, however, having a properly sized flyer image greatly improves the look of your event page, catches people’s attention, and provides all the necessary information about your event in one place.

Event Name: Enter a short, clear name for your event.  Your event title may not be in all caps, and cannot contain excessive amounts of symbols.  It also helps to make your event title easily searchable so that people can locate your event easily. “The Beatles Live at the Showbox” is a good title, “***BEATLES LIVE SEATTLE ((@ SHOWBOX))!!!!” is not.

Location: Enter the exact location of your event.  Many venues will already have their information stored on Facebook, and will appear in the drop down menu as you type in the venue name.  If you see your venue appear in this menu, select it.

Tags: Type in tags for your event and select the results from the drop down menu.  These are based on things that people have selected as interested or “liked” on Facebook.  These tags can be specific or more general, but should always be relevant to your event. Examples: theater, wrestling, Seattle techno, hiking live music.

Ticket URL: Enter the URL for your Brown Paper Tickets ticket sales page.  This will provide an easy and direct link for people to purchase tickets to your event, and will appear near the top of your event page.

Co-hosts: If you would like to give anyone else access to edit your event page, enter their names here.  If you would like to add another business page as a host, first add the individual who is the admin for the business page, and then they will be able to add the business page itself.

7. Send as many Facebook invitations as possible, and have your friends do the same

Once your Facebook event page is created, invite your primary promoters to attend.  They will receive a notification on Facebook that they have been invited to the event, and this will signal to them that it is up and ready to be promoted.  Once you and your primary promoters have clicked “going” on the event, each of you should send as many invitations as you can to anyone on your friends’ list who might be interested.

This may be the most important step in the announcement process as it provides an initial promo blast across your networks as well as your friends’ and coworkers’ networks. Think of it this way: if you and 4 other people each invite 500 friends, you’ve just advertised to 500 people instantly, without spending a penny.

8. Make your announcement posts

Once you and your primary promoters have sent invitations on Facebook, it is time to post the pre-written announcement you drafted in step four.

Facebook uses a number of algorithms to determine how many people see posts that you make.  To make sure your post gets as much visibility as possible, keep in mind that the following post types get the best visibility:

  • Short (90-140 character) text posts
  • Posts with images, the less text on the image, the better
  • Posts that do not explicitly mention the fact that they are promoting an event and avoid using certain key words such as “event,” “buy tickets” or other terminology that clearly indicates your post is (essentially) an advertisement.
  • Posts that do not contain direct links to Facebook event pages or Brown Paper Tickets ticketing pages.

What exactly should you post?

Your square flyer image or a visually engaging photo of your performers (or press shots if available,) accompanied by your announcement text that you prepared earlier. Make this post from both your Facebook business page and your personal page.

How do you direct people to buy tickets if you can’t link them to the ticketing page in your post?

Put the link to your ticketing page or Facebook event in the comments of your own post, after the post has been up for a few minutes.

Facebook uses automated systems to detect when people are promoting their events, and if you’re not paying for advertising, Facebook will make sure your post goes to the bottom of your friends’ feeds.  Posts with just pictures or text tend to get more “likes” and comments, and are thus seen by more people.  You can use this to your advantage; make a post that doesn’t contain an event link–at first. Then add the link in the comments once the post starts to gain visibility.

Additionally, post a link to your Brown Paper Tickets ticketing page in the “Discussion” section of your Facebook Event Page, and pin the post (here are instructions).

9. Change your Facebook profile/Business page banner image, and encourage your friends to do the same

By changing the banner image on your page and on your profile, you are effectively getting an extra promo boost every time someone visits your page.  If you encourage your primary promoters to change their banner images as well, it will increase the number of people who see your flyer image across your promoters’ networks.

10. Make a follow up announcement for anyone who missed the boat

Once your Facebook announcement is done, you’ll want to make sure you follow up later in the evening with an additional post so that anyone who was busy or away from during your earlier announcement gets caught up.  The ideal time to make this post depends on your audience, but 6-9PM is usually a safe bet as a lot of people are home.

Announce on your other networks

Have a Twitter account?  Tweet out your square flyer image and a short announcement about your event.  Be sure to tag your artists or performers in the Tweet if they are on Twitter, and create a Bitly link to direct people to your Brown Paper Tickets ticketing page.

Read more on effective Twitter hashtagging.

To create a short link, use Bitly.

Got an Instagram?  Post your square flyer image there too, as well as a selection of hashtags relevant to your event.  Since Instagram doesn’t let you put hyperlinks in posts, put the link to your Brown Paper Tickets ticketing page in your Instagram Bio, and include a note in your post saying “Ticket link in bio.”

For more information on Instagram’s “Link in bio” and why it’s great, check out this article.

Don’t forget to cross promote across all your social media channels.  Occasionally post a link to your Facebook event page on Twitter, or a link to your Instagram on Facebook.  Sending traffic between your social media feeds will help boost your followers across all platforms.

Now that you’ve completed these 10 steps, you’re done for the day. From preparation to announcement to the follow up, by carefully planning your announcement you should see a solid response from your social media network.  Don’t forget, however, that promoting events is all about the long game. A strong announcement is important, but consistently posting about and promoting your event between now and the event date is just as important.  Make sure that the event doesn’t fade from your network’s memories—build hype as it gets closer and closer.

Interested in learning more about announcing and promoting your event?  Contact the Brown Paper Tickets promo department.

Event Tips >

Losing Your Following? How to Keep Fans Coming Back

RollerDerby_Entertainment(Part two of a series on roller derby fan retention.)

In the previous blog post on fan retention, I suggested changing the notion of “by the skater, for the skater” to “by the skater for the fan.” The post received an outpouring of comments, questions and ideas. Thanks everyone for ringing in.

Nothing is more important than playing. Period. The sport draws a rich subculture and instills confidence unlike anything else I’ve experienced. If playing is the focus and drawing a crowd isn’t, that’s fine.

But if your business model includes playing to fans, make it a goal to continually get more attendees to return and one day build a sustainable fan base.

Change Your Perspective

First off, don’t confuse family and friends with fans. Those who know skaters and staff account for a significant number of people, but their attendance fails over time and they often don’t return after “their” league-member leaves.

Fans are customers. If a restaurant sells food the owner likes, but customers find unappealing, change the menu or accept the consequences. Separate your opinions from that of the paying customer. You can give fans the night they want and they’ll return.

You can give fans the night you want, which might work, but fans won’t necessarily grow to like it.

There is no second chance.

Consider Your Impression

Are skaters qualified to play? New leagues sometimes rush into games without the skill or the stamina to make a good impression. As excited as it is to get out there, slow-moving, unstable, sloppy skaters trying to execute high-level strategies are difficult to watch.

Those who play prior to mastering minimum skills jeopardize themselves, teammates and opponents. Many serious injuries I’ve witnessed, (such as compound fractures) occurred during a league’s first game. As badly as we feel for the skater, the medical attention and screams impact the crowd. Imagine how it affects kids in the audience.

Be patient. To get your skating fix, scrimmage until the team is ready.

Speed of the Game – Controversial?

It need not be. The WFTDA rules allow for many styles of play. Can game play or speed itself create retention problems? Yes, but to what extent is unknown. I’ve had many exchanges with hardcore fans that left dissatisfied with the experience. My family no longer attends games.

In 2010, using the same/very similar pack definition rules, Detroit’s Racer McChaser put up a short-lived record of 36 points in one jam. Amazingly, her opponent was on the track the entire time. No stopping, no bracing and she put up a 36-0 run against her opponent. It took a skilled use of both offensive and defensive blocking. Would that look the same today? It’s highly unlikely, though many elements of the speed differentials used and the offensive blocking remain valid strategy today.

There are many ways to play. Half the fun of coaching is developing something new. I see 50 games a year or more and quickly notice teams that execute situational defenses/offenses all night, when offensive blocking would produce far greater points and excitement.

Simple Solutions

Try to keep nights within 2 ½ hours. Warm-up time is a necessity, but 30-minute halftimes (especially during double headers) and long breaks between games thins the crowd quickly.

Often, leagues leave seating wide open. Don’t. Put the skaters on the far side of the venue and the crowd on the other, facing them. Cordon off a section specifically for the fans so that they all sit together. The venue looks more full, the crowd feeds off each other and it’s easier for the league to interact with the audience.

Plus, it’s louder.

7 Pre-game Entertainment Tips

  1. Don’t allow fans to walk into a quiet venue with only player warmups to watch.
  2. The time prior to the anthem and intros is where a DJ can really go all out.
  3. Run league trivia on the scoreboard. You could even have announcers do it. Make it suspenseful, with a list of answers—have each wrong answer disappear until the right one is chosen.
  4. As fans enter, make sure they are walking through the merchandise area. Always put this in a high-traffic area.
  5. Set up a table near the entrance that is clearly labeled for derby newbies. Explain the game with a sketch of the track, moveable pieces to represent skaters, and a single-sheet handout of basic derby rules. Encourage them to return at breaks with questions.
  6. Run video compilations for the crowd showing great moves, big hits, revving them up for the action to follow.
  7. Have each team finish their warmup by forming a pace line. Take a few minutes to get that line moving as quickly as possible, wowing the crowd and blowing the hair back of those in the suicide seats.

Dramatic Intros

If you have entrance photos or videos for your teams, run them while players are introduced. Make it dramatic. Dim the main lights and run specialty lights if you have them. No need for taglines, just announcers projecting with emphasis on player names, like they do in pro-sports arenas.

Engaging Fans During the GameRoller-Derby-Fan-Retention

Kudos to WFTDA for appointing emcees to this year’s playoffs. As emcee of the D1 Madison tournament, I hyped the crowd, ran fan games during halftimes, and was turned loose to entertain. The role generated a lot of positive feedback.

Give announcers an appropriate, family-friendly leash. During timeouts and downtime, let banter flow. If announcers are having fun, so are fans.

Fan games. During some D1 tournaments, fans looked forward to musical chairs and scavenger hunts. In Madison, we threw dance contests, lip-sync contests, hula hoop races and had original games.

Kids’ games. Make them clever, don’t just give in to running races, dress-up races, three-legged races. I am the biggest kid in the room, no matter where I go, so interviewing the little ones is a must. What they say during interviews is half the fun. Besides, it’s catering to families.

Skater skills contests. Hold a skills contest at halftime and raise money for charity. Have buckets with each skater’s name at the merch booth. Have “runners” take the buckets into the stands to sell raffle tickets. Give the audience a stake in who wins – the audience places each ticket into the container of the skater they think will win and the winning skater then draws the ticket from his/her bucket.

7 Contest and Entertainment Ideas

  1. Fastest average lap. It takes a stopwatch and a little math, but you can time skaters and translate a lap’s average mph. I’ve done it and the crowd loves it. Run each skater one at a time to prevent contact.
  2. Backwards laps. Same thing.
  3. Measure Apex jumps.
  4. Run an obstacle course. Limbo bar, cone slalom, obstacles to jump. The fastest wins.
  5. Ask local entertainers to participate. Jam skaters, extreme sports athletes, family-friendly comedians, dance and tumbling squads.
  6. Jeerleaders, a more tongue-in-cheek cheerleading squad. Milwaukee’s Beerleaders not only cheered, they did a dance routine at every game.
  7. Supervised kids’ areas, where the little ones can color, bowl down pins with skates or play other games.

Be creative, keep the night moving and above all, enjoy it.

How do you keep your fans entertained? Ring in below; we would love to hear your ideas.

Roller Derby >

Dear Derby, the Honeymoon is Over. Now What?

Fan-Retention-RollerDerbyMarketing(Part one of a two-part series on fan retention).

For nearly ten years, derby enjoyed amazing crowds with little marketing. We were a viable entertainment option. So why, in the last few years, have so many leagues cut back on travel, lost money or their venue? They are not catering to the fan. Rat City’s crowd funding to save their practice facility should have been the wake-up call of all wake-up calls. Keep in mind that this is the same league that set the national attendance record a few years ago.

No more mainstream TV shows or movies about derby. The honeymoon period is over.

Business Acumen is Crucial
Lately, my role announcing is not nearly as important as being a business resource to leagues. My BA in Business Management followed by years running department stores, helps me see wasted money and missed opportunities. I managed budgets, marketing and personnel issues for stores that generated millions of dollars annually and was accountable when sales went up or down.

Trust me, when I say that general proper business practices lack at all levels of roller derby.

By the Skater for the Fan
Once you sell tickets, you are a business. Don’t worry about losing control; your league is yours.

It’s time to look at fans as customers. There are many decisions to be made in order to make a profit. Profit increases by generating more income (grow your fan-base, sell more merchandise, increase fundraising) or lowering expenses.

So, if your league is struggling, what will it be? “By the skater, for the fan?” I hope so. Unless you don’t mind playing for fun behind closed doors (nothing wrong with that), adapt your production, strategize your ticket sales and give fans a night to remember.

Fan Retention
Even if you pull in a fair number of fans, why do so many not return? There is a disconnect between what you offer and what fans hope for. I can give you solid ideas on how to increase the crowds coming through the door, but if they’re only coming once, your pool of new fans continually gets smaller.

Wondering what your fan retention is? To get a good visual, use your phone and take a panorama of the crowd at the beginning of your event, then after halftime and again at the night’s conclusion. You’ll see about how many stay for the whole game.

Speed of the Game
First off, it’s not WFTDA’s fault for the speed of the game and the way it’s being played. They made revisions to try to better define the game and it only takes one to find loopholes that many follow. Yes, the slower, stop-and-go-style of game confuses fans.

My job, as an announcer is to succinctly explain what is happening. It’s impossible, in a few sentences, to relay pack destruction, reformation and why they stop. People are confused; they don’t understand how a game on wheels can be slow.

You decide if this ends or not. If you are unsanctioned, play the game you want to. If you are sanctioned, use it when it makes sense. If you hate it, let your WFTDA BOD know.

Make the Night Memorable
Don’t kill production value; make it better. The evening needs to entertain from start to finish. A few ideas:

• Engaging openings for teams and videos for the screens or jumbotrons
• Keep skaters accessible to fans – autograph tables on the way in and way out
• Make each half-time short but memorable with acts or contests

Nobody wants teams to experience financial issues or constant worry that every bout has to be “the one.” Give fans what they want, make it consistent, sell more tickets and get fans to return.

Stay tuned for my next post in the series on fan retention. I’ll explore specific, creative ways you can keep ’em coming back.

How is your league retaining fans in derby’s post-Honeymoon stage? Comment below with your tips and experiences. 

Roller Derby >

Top 5 SEO Tips for Event Planners

search-engine-optimization-events-1George Freitag swooped in to the Brown Paper Tickets community space to teach event planners search engine optimization. He wasn’t wearing a cape, but we’re pretty sure he’s some type of SEO superhero.

Exhibit A: he has a wealth of experience listed on his website. B: He works for Portent, Inc. an 18-year-old digital marketing firm based in Seattle. C: He gave free advice and tools event planners and promoters can use to achieve higher rankings, sell out shows, kick butt online. In short, he knocked our socks off. Then just as quickly as he appeared, he vanished into the gray Seattle sky, not even helping himself to a doughnut.

SEO Basics for Your Events

1. Be online
Be findable. It may seem obvious, but nonetheless, it is a good place to start. Your event needs to live on a permanent website or page, so fans and prospective attendees can find you. Create a website or page or at minimum, fill out all the fields when you create your event page.

You’re not done yet. Make sure your website or page has text, as search engines like Google cannot read text on an image file, so simply uploading your band’s flier to a website won’t do much to improve organic traffic.

Freitag’s test: see if you can copy and paste the text. If you cannot, search engines won’t be able to read it.

2. Be useful
Details, details, details. Add the event name, date and time, location and other need-to-know information. But don’t copy and paste the description from one site to the next – search engines see this as spammy, useless duplicate content. Craft new event descriptions for every page and site listing your event.

Add a call to action (CTA). Visitors to your event page need to know where to buy tickets, so make sure you have a nice bright button or text link. Buy Now. Register Today. Sign Up for This Crazy Awesome Event. Brown Paper Tickets lets you embed a CTA button or text link right onto your webpage.

When setting up your event, you can put one of these buttons right on your site:

Marketing-BPT-CTA

You can contact us 24/7 if you need help setting up your event on our site.

3.  Be relevant
Say you just got back from Paris where you learned to soufflé with the best of the best and you now you want to teach a French cooking class.

How will prospective attendees find your class? You have to talk the talk. Use words in your descriptions people will use to search for classes. In the SEO-sphere, these are called keywords.

How do you find keywords? Search on Google for “French cooking course” and scroll to the bottom to see suggested search terms. Or use Ubersuggest to see popular searched-on terms. Look for terms that get a lot of traffic, but aren’t too competitive. Find out whether it’s better to use the term “course” or “class” or other words in your event title and description.

Don’t overuse keywords though. Use them naturally – sprinkle them in.

Don’t do this: Want to come to my French cooking class? Please come to my French cooking class. My French cooking class is January 3.

Freitag recommends Google Webmaster Tools so that you can check in on your SEO efforts, conduct keyword research and understand how others are finding your site.

4. Be popular

SEO-Tips-Events

After the workshop, we practiced “being popular.” Follow us on Twitter and join in on the fun.

Search engines favor popular sites that have a lot of high-quality links, mentions, shares. A few marketing and social media efforts can help you become naturally popular online.

Link your event page on our site to your web page. Have a good PR plan in place to attract media attentions and mentions from journalists. Submit your event to calendar listings. Freitag said to “get as niche or regional as you can.” He also advises to include display buttons, so your friends, fans, and others can share your Zombie flash dance, punk poetry slam or whatever you have going on.

5. Be pretty
Freitag said, “Yes, we mean be pretty in the most superficial way possible.” Make sure you have clean event titles that use 50-65 characters. Title tags have a direct impact on your rankings (how high you are on the page), so pick a title carefully. Your meta description does not have an impact on your ranking, so you don’t need to worry so much about keywords, but make sure it’s grammatically clean and includes all the important details because it will be pulled in when people search for your event.

Use the Portent SERP Preview Tool to preview what your event listing will look like in search results.

And remember, the more “popular” you are, the better. So make sure when people share your content, it’s looking sharp. Freitag recommends Twitter Card to beautify your content when it is shared.

And more:

Freitag gave event planners so much useful advice, we couldn’t possibly list it all. View his whole presentation and comment with your own thoughts on SEO.

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